United Nations, Jun 27 2013, (UN News) – A United Nations committee today voiced concern at a wide range of practices that violate Israel’s obligations as an occupying power and infringe on the human rights of the Palestinians, and warned that popular discontent could result in another round of violence.

The Israeli detention of an estimated 5,000 Palestinians, the “systematically abusive” detention of Palestinian children, the impact of the ongoing Israeli blockade of Gaza and the continued demolition of Palestinian homes were among the concerns cited by the UN Special Committee to investigate Israeli practices affecting the human rights of the Palestinian people and other Arabs of the occupied territories, as it concluded its latest fact-finding visit to Amman and Cairo.

“Israel’s continued detention of an estimated 5,000 Palestinians should be of deep concern to the world,” said Ambassador Palitha Kohona of Sri Lanka, who currently heads the Committee. He noted in particular 20 prisoners who are on hunger strikes to protest abuses such as arbitrary detention, poor prison conditions, denial of family visits, solitary confinement, lack of access to education and negligent medical treatment.

“The most alarming testimony,” said Mr. Kohona, “concerned the systematically abusive detention and interrogation by Israeli authorities of Palestinian children.” Witnesses reported that some 200 children are in Israeli detention at any given time, and that children are often taken away in the middle of the night, blindfolded and their hands tied.

“Witnesses stated that Palestinian children are denied requests to be accompanied by a parent, denied access to a lawyer, and put at serious risk of torture and ill-treatment at the hands of Israeli security officials,” Mr. Kohona said in a news release.

Turning to Gaza, he said the lives of Palestinians in the territory have been “profoundly disrupted” by the six-year-old Israeli blockade. In particular, the committee was informed about the impact of Israel reducing the area in which Palestinian fishermen in Gaza can fish during the prime fishing season.

“Gaza’s 4,000 fishermen used to catch four tons of fish each year, now they bring in only 1.5 tons,” the committee said, adding that today, 80 per cent of Palestinian fishermen live in poverty.

“Gaza’s farmers find themselves in similar circumstances,” the committee observed. “They aren’t maximizing the cultivation of their traditional crops of strawberries, carnations, herbs and sweet peppers due to Israel’s near-total restriction on exports and enforcement of a buffer zone inside of Gaza.”

Mr. Kohona stressed that the international community must pressure the Israeli Government to let Palestinians farm, fish and export. Otherwise, Israel will entrench Gaza’s dependence on the international community.

The blockade also had the effect of “bifurcating Palestinian society,” since many Palestinians in Gaza have not seen family members in the West Bank for years, owing to Israeli restrictions on movement between Gaza and the rest of Palestine, he noted.

The committee also heard “disturbing” testimony about the treatment of Palestinians who seek a permit to leave Gaza, including efforts by Israeli officials to pressure them into becoming informants and forcing women to undergo humiliating strip searches.

It was also briefed on continuing settlement construction in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the widespread phenomenon of Israeli settler violence and Israel’s discriminatory planning and zoning regime that effectively prohibits Palestinians from building or even renovating their homes.

In the first five months of 2013, 42 Palestinian structures were demolished in East Jerusalem. One witness reminded the committee that not all demolitions are reported as some families are forced to demolish their own homes to avoid huge fees from the Israeli Government.

“Businesses have a responsibility to not be complicit in Israel’s policies and practices that openly violate Palestinian rights,” observed the committee, which listened to reports of businesses, including multinational corporations, which are profiting from the Israeli settlement enterprise.

“It is inconceivable that any business could not be aware of the illegal nature of Israel’s settlement activities in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem,” said Mr. Kohona. “There is a need for scrupulous due diligence and a clear awareness of the potential legal and reputational consequences for businesses associated with the Israeli settlement enterprise.”

The three-member committee, established by the General Assembly in 1968, will present a full report on its mission and other activities to the Assembly in November 2013.

Peace Through Tourism

How Travel & Tourism Can Help Restore the Balance in the Emerging New World Order

"The travel & tourism buzzword of the 21st century will be the search for balance."

That forecast was made by Imtiaz Muqbil, Executive Editor, Travel Impact Newswire, in the monthly strategic intelligence publication of PATA, the Pacific Asia Travel Association, way back in February 1999. Today, it is proving spot-on as the word "balance" resonates across all industry sectors.

Travel industry conferences seeking a speaker who can offer some unique historical hindsight, unconventional foresight and thought-provoking insight on how to rebuild and restore the balance in Asia Pacific travel & tourism can email Imtiaz Muqbil by clicking here.

There Can Be No Sustainability Without Spirituality

The New World Order will be dominated by a resurgence of spirituality.

Imtiaz Muqbil claims to be the world's only travel journalist to have visited the Holy Spots of all the major world religions -- Lumbhini, Bodhgaya, Varanasi, Nalanda, Jerusalem, Vatican City, Amritsar, Makkah, Madinah, Najaf and Karbala, as well as religious spots such as Angkor Wat, Bagan, Shwedagon Pagoda, Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Temple of The Tooth, Somnath Temple, Samarkand, Bukhara and many other great mosques, shrines, temples and cathedrals worldwide.

Sustainability, ecotourism and health & wellness travel have all become so 'yesterday'. Prepare for the new generation of travel in the New World Order and raise the bar of your next conference, management forum or seminar by hearing Imtiaz Muqbil's thoughts on this unmatched game- and life-changing experience.

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Secrets of Thailand's Tourism Success

Why the Amazing Kingdom is notching up record-breaking arrivals, and what challenges it faces next

The Thai tourism industry has become by far the Kingdom's most successful service sector, one of its leading job-creators and foreign exchange-earners. Behind this success lies a fascinating history of great branding campaigns, policy and regulatory changes, budgetary bunfights, strategic thinking and influence of Royal events.

But this success has now bred a new set of management challenges that may be more difficult to overcome.

Travel Impact Newswire Executive Editor Imtiaz Muqbil has been monitoring the pulse of the Thai travel industry full-time since 1981. Industry conferences and management meetings wishing to benefit from a treasure trove of insights and hindsights on one of the world's great tourism success stories can drop an email here: imtiaz@travel-impact-newswire.com.

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The Rise of the Whistle-Blowers

For 15 years (January 1997-July 2012), Imtiaz Muqbil penned a hard-hitting fortnightly column called “Soul-Searching” in the so-called “newspaper you can trust”. In July 2012, the column was gagged, with no explanation.

Over the years, four columns had explicitly forecast the rise of whistle-blowers -- a prediction now coming 100% true. Read the four columns by clicking on the links below.

Too Bad Your Ad Is Not in This Spot

Space available for unique ads that demonstrate commitment to helping physically-challenged people, building global peace, improving social and cultural cohesion, providing opportunities for the under-privileged, alleviating poverty and combatting global injustice & corruption.

If your product is not meeting any of the above goals, please advertise elsewhere.

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News Vs Noise

A Unique Course for Travel & Tourism Communicators In The Internet Era

By far the vast majority of media communications in the travel industry is boring, banal and bland. The same way it has been for the last 30 years.

Travel Impact Newswire Executive Editor Imtiaz Muqbil has designed a special communications course to help upgrade both the context and the content of industry media material, and make it more interesting, readable and, most important, relevant.